Police and fire departments hit the floor running

Call them now official. As Maricopa continues its growth, the city now has its own official police and fire departments to protect and serve it.

With Mayor Kelly Anderson, Police Chief Patrick Melvin and others in attendance Monday morning, the celebration was on at Station 574 for the start of the Maricopa Police Department and the Maricopa Fire District’s move to a city department.

“We are here for another first for the city of Maricopa,” Mayor Kelly Anderson said. “Today’s celebration is the result of a lot of hard work from many people. Chief Melvin has hit the ground running.” Anderson added.

As of Monday, the police force is now handling daytime operations in the city, while the contract with Pinal County stays in place to have the sheriff’s office continuing to provide coverage from 4 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The Maricopa Police Department officially began operations on Oct. 26, 2006. At that time the force had one employee. As of today there are 21 full-time employees and 15 vehicles in the fleet.

“We have come a long way in a short time,” Melvin commented. Melvin asked those in attendance to bear with the force, noting, “We are experiencing growing pains. Please pardon the mess; the Maricopa Police Department is still under construction.”

Melvin told inmaricopa.com that the department’s work is far from over, but he was thankful for the assistance his men and women have received.

“We are very grateful for the help we’ve received from the sheriff’s office,” Melvin said. “The council and mayor have provided us the resources to hire nothing but the best. The city staff has also sacrificed a lot so that we are here today.”

As of Monday, Maricopa’s Fire District transitioned to a city department.

Battalion Chief Wade Brannon said it was exciting to open a new chapter in the history of Maricopa.

“Our chief came on two years ago, and we were an all-volunteer force before that,” Brannon said. “Now, we have four full-time stations, 58 sworn firefighters and 62 people within the department. We’re excited to work with city council and bring the best service to our citizens.”

Photo by Dave Thomas